Judge Sends Warf To Prison For Violation

July 24, 2013

After violating the terms of his probation, Edward Warf was remanded to serve the remainder of his one to 10 year sentence in the West Virginia Penitentiary for Men.

Warf, 21, of Route 1 Box 239 A, Middlebourne, admitted at a hearing on July 19 that he had been out of the state of West Virginia. Haught reported in court that Warf had fled to Florida and had to be extradited back to Wetzel County. Haught recommended that Warf be incarcerated, due to his prior violations of probation. Judge Mark A. Karl agreed to this and ordered Warf to serve the remainder of his sentence.

On Dec. 21, 2011, Warf pleaded guilty to count one of a five-count indictment, that being felony entry of a building other than a dwelling. For this offense, Warf was sentenced to one to 10 years in prison.

Article Photos

Edward Warf

During this Dec. 21, 2011 hearing, Judge Karl had asked Warf if he had a drug problem, to which Warf said he did and that his drug problem was the reason he broke into St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Paden City. However, Warf did not request drug treatment or counseling. Notably, Haught shared with the court that the defendant was only able to retrieve $7 from the break-in.

Haught had summarized the facts of the case, stating Warf broke a bathroom window at the church to gain entry and took roughly $7 and some checks which Warf later discarded. Warf later confessed to taking the money, along with a couple of beers from Days Gone By, wherein he gained entry without destruction by using a plastic card to unlock the door.

On Feb. 10, 2012, Warf was released from prison on a Rule 35 sentence modification. However on July 18, 2012, Warf was placed back in prison for 30 days after breaking rules of probation, including moving from his residence without notifying his probation officer, as well as being caught with alcohol. Warf's probation was also extended, at that time, for another year.